A Little Bit Sinful(25)

“If she is courted by many men, perhaps you have nothing to worry about.”

Clarissa seemed to consider the matter, but then she shook her head. “No. George is the most eligible of men. He is handsome, charming, titled. No girl would say no if he asked. Indeed, I am sure that merely knowing George is interested in her will convince Miss Cooper from even considering the attentions of other men.”

“Indeed. George is a lucky man.”

Lucky—that is—that he wasn’t there in the room with Justin at that moment, for Justin would have been sorely tempted to beat this dandy to a bloody pulp.

“So you believe George will propose to Miss Cooper merely because she is more worldly than you?”

“It is highly likely, yes.”

“I remember this Miss Cooper, I believe. You are far lovelier.”

However Clarissa merely waved away his complement. “Pretty words mean nothing in the face of Franny Cooper’s charms and experiences. The very fact that she’s been courted by so many men gives her an advantage I couldn’t hope to match.”

“But surely you have been courted by just as many men.”

In expression flickered across Clarissa’s face. One he couldn’t quite read. Surprise maybe, as if she had revealed something she didn’t mean to. Then she smiled too brightly and turned away from him, once again twisting her fingers into knots. “Why, yes. Of course. I’ve had many suitors. So many I barely remember their names.”

If it hadn’t been for that flicker of emotion, he might have accepted her words at face value. However, her obvious discomfort made it all too easy to question her explanation. He had assumed that a girl as lovely as Clarissa would have plenty of suitors, but what if he was wrong? After all, she had lost several family members when she was younger, not long after she would have had her coming out, if he was not mistaken. She would have been in mourning for a full year after the death of her sister-in-law. Add in more time for her brother’s death, and she simply hadn’t had much opportunity to be courted.

“Clarissa,” he coaxed.

“Very well.” She spun back around, her eyes flashing with chagrin. “I’ve had only one serious suitor other than George. His name was Christopher and I was enchanted by him, thought for certain I would marry him. He did not turn out to be the man I thought him to be. Rebecca hadn’t liked him from the beginning, had warned me not to trust him, but I hadn’t listened. It was all very long ago. So do you see? Do you understand now why I am so worried George might have his head turned by Miss Cooper?”

Indeed he did. Then again, he had understood all along that George was not the sort of man for Clarissa. The man was not the gentleman she believed him to be. However, he couldn’t bring himself to disillusion her, not when she had come to him for help. Not when she was so clearly—and adorably—worried.

“Let’s discuss courtship. Perhaps if you are a bit more comfortable being wooed you will not worry so.”

Her eyes widened. “You intend to court me?”

He waited for her to have a more telling reaction. Would she be accepting of such a gesture from him? He doubted it. But if he could busy her, occupy her mind enough that perhaps George did decide to propose to Franny Cooper, then Justin would feel as if he’d done his duty to Clarissa. And done it without devouring her body. “No, I meant only that we could set up scenarios.”

“Oh, like in a play?”

“Precisely.” He took her hand and pulled her over to the settee near the fireplace. “What do men do these days to court women?”

“A myriad of things. Picnics, walk in the park, rides in the park, poetry—”

“Poetry. Yes, that is somewhere to start. Now would this be poems that the gentleman himself wrote? For instance, I could compare your fair hair to that of freshly pulled wheat. Then I could liken your lovely complexion to the finest quality alabaster. Your eyes, though, those would be far more difficult. The color is so very unique, not quite the color of the sky on a bright spring day, nor the color of the ocean off of Plymouth’s coast. It is rather like a color that only an artist could create by blending and mixing the most beautiful shades of blue.”

The expression on Clarissa’s face filled with surprise and something sharply akin to awe. He simultaneously wanted to embrace her and chuckle. “Or perhaps it’s more that they quote other famous poets.

‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds